Longjing Tea/Story
Fondness Story I. A Get Together “Thump—“ “Thump thump—“ “Hey—Longjing! If ya still won’t come out, I’m gonna smash this huge rock!” I opened my eyes, exasperated. I looked up to see the schools of fish avoiding the ripples of lake water, caused by that noisy fellow lobbing rocks in. Ever since he found out I would resurface if he threw in rocks, my old peaceful days could never return. I emerged to the surface of the lake to see no incident, just Dragon & Phoenix with a jug of wine, grinning at me, laughing ever so freely. “…What is it?” “I got a good jug of wine from the brewery. Their daughter is getting married so they opened their cellar, that aged ‘red daughter wine’ Translator's Note: 女儿红, refers towards a traditional yellow wine from the Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. It's a kind of fermented yellow wine. was just cracked open and the whole cellar smelled so damn good! Let’s all go to the courtyard and try some wine while moon watching!” He looked at the sun in the sky. “…It’s noon right now, now is the time for afternoon naps.” “Yep! Zitui Bun and Dragon Beard Candy are all napping! Realgar Wine is still studying his medicine, which is why I came to find you!” Looking at his utterly confident smile, I felt a bit of a migraine coming on. I pinched my nose bridge, and in the next second, Dragon & Phoenix had his arm hooked around my shoulders, dragging me towards the little house. After the arrival of Dragon & Phoenix, the little house occasionally becomes quite noisy. But what I didn’t expect was how unbothered I was by the noisiness. It’s come to a point where it didn’t feel too bad to have all this hustle and bustle. When we returned to the little house, Dragon Beard Candy and Zitui Bun had already finished their afternoon nap and were preparing the meals and needed tableware for tonight’s courtyard gathering. “Ah! Longjing, you’ve also returned!” It’s like they knew Dragon & Phoenix would be bringing back wine, judging by their busyness. I suspiciously eyed them. “Today is the Dragon God’s birthday, the anniversary of settling in this village. You actually forgot.” “That’s right, Dragon & Phoenix said he wanted to celebrate it for you. He even sent Realgar Wine to buy your favourite treats; looks like he will return in a bit.” I looked at them, feeling exasperated. “We’re Food Souls, what’s all this talk about birthdays? We don’t have them.” “Well, no matter. It’s rare for there to be something worth celebrating, right!?” I gazed at Zitui Bun’s smile as I let out a sigh; even though Dragon Beard Candy nagged again and again about the trouble, it was hard for her to hide her excitement. Realgar Wine, too, got dragged out of his alchemy room and into the hubbub. Looking at them, I felt my lips unconsciously curl, just a tiny bit. When there’s endless time and there’s something worth celebrating every day, that might be a fortunate thing. II. Bearing Burdens Everyone was in full swing as we prepared for the banquet. However, the sky did not seem intent on following our wishes. Grey rain clouds covered the entire sky, and the light breeze brought a hint of moisture. Dragon & Phoenix and the others, caught up in their excitement, didn’t notice these miniscule changes. What surprised me even more was that they even invited those Food Souls from the Bamboo Smoke Pawnshop. Peking Duck brought in delicate refreshments, Yuxiang and Zitui Bun were discussing the history of unknown customs, the two little ones called Hawthorne and Pancake were quick to start a commotion with Dragon & Phoenix. I looked at the gradually darkening sky, sighing. Soon, the continuous pitter-patter of a light shower fell over the entire village, covering it all in a layer of mist. Before they drooped their shoulders in disappointment, a pale green screen of light wrapped around the entire courtyard, shielding them from the raindrops. Under their joyful gazes, I turned my eyes away, with slight unease. “What are you looking at me for, didn’t you want to celebrate?” Dragon & Phoenix and the others let out a cheer and continued to arrange the decorations for tonight’s banquet. Zitui Bun stood beside me, and the impish smile in his eyes made me wet my lips. “Thank you, Sir Dragon God.” “…Zitui Bun, you too…” “Hmm?” Looking at his lifted brows, I shook my head, somewhat exasperated. Ever since Dragon & Phoenix came here, even the elegant Zitui Bun and refined Dragon Beard Candy had become slightly cheeky because of him. Dragon & Phoenix opened the vintage wine he’d brought over Translator's Note: It said "made" (弄来的) at this point for some reason, which is false, as Dragon & Phoenix got from a winery as earlier said, so it was changed. , and the rich aroma of wine wafted into the courtyard. Along with Dragon Beard Candy’s leisurely pleasant guqin performance, everyone lifted their wine cups. With the intoxicating fragrant wine, the curtain of rain gradually dispersed; everyone was already somewhat tired. I stood in the messy courtyard as I lifted the barrier in the air. The fresh air left from the rain allowed me to close my eyes and enjoy the gentle breeze on my face. “Longjing, I’ve found them.” I opened my eyes. Peking Duck, who’d originally collapsed in a drunken stupor, was now standing behind me. His head was tilted upwards as he stared at the clear and bright moonlight, zoning out. His gaze held slight relief, but it was more resolute, as if he were a man walking towards his death. “If I cannot return, the Bamboo Smoke…” “I will go with you all.” I looked at Peking’s surprised expression, and gazed at the shadows of the courtyard. “Not just for the humans, but for them too.” Peking Duck quickly recovered. He smiled faintly as he looked at my companions behind him, who’d failed to properly conceal their heads, then turned back around. “Having to shoulder so much, won’t you get tired?” “They are my companions, there is no burden.” III. Little House I don’t know when I began to be called a ‘Dragon God’. Their wishes were no trouble at all for me. Over time, I became the ‘Dragon God’ they all awed at. I liked having my little breaks at the lake’s bottom, and I’d gotten used to the silence of solitude. Days like these went by for who knows how long, when one day, the quiet surface of lake began to ripple from falling rocks. A high-spirited and energetic young boy stood by the lake, holding a small, flat rock for skipping stones. Besides him was a young girl, her skin pale as snow and dressed in luxurious palace clothes; her face was thoroughly red as she stared at him. Typically, young love always made one feel sweet, but for me, it wasn’t something worth getting into. What drew my attention was the man draped in red robes standing not too far from them. He had the same aura as me. He noticed my gaze, and revealed a gentle smile. “So you’re him, the rumoured Dragon God.” When the young boy and girl heard his words, they immediately huddled to my side, curious. They talked all at once, excitedly discussing stories of the Dragon God. Listening to their words, I was actually a little surprised that my volunteer works actually helped so many. The innocent princess gently pulled at my sleeve, and her eyes held a bit of tender compassion that I couldn’t really understand. “Sir Dragon God, you must have it tough: you’re even sleeping at the bottom of the lake, it must be very cold and hard, right!?” “…It’s tolerable.” She furrowed her brows. Suddenly, her eyes glinted. “I’ll have father gift you a little house! We can use my monthly payment and Ah Fu’s official salary!” “That…” “Don’t worry, sir! Ah Fu is a champion! His salary as an official is high! Not to mention, by doing this, Sir Dragon God can let any homeless people to temporarily stay at the little house! This also counts as us helping people, right!?” “……” “We can definitely do it! Ah Fu can calm the chaos of war, I can convince my father do more charity. There’ll certainly come a day where the world doesn’t have any more homeless people! Sir Dragon God, you have to help us too!” Da Hong Pao covered his mouth with a sleeve as he smiled, and used that covered smile to pacify me. “Just accept it. They have only good intentions.” I hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded, under the two younglings’ expectant gazes. Not long after the young champion and little princess left, happy news about the two came from the imperial capital. I asked someone to deliver them my gift, but soon afterwards, news of war at the borders came. Wars, natural disasters, epidemics; though they are not directly connected, they always come one after another. News of constant losses in the war, the sudden explosion of epidemics, and the eerie appearance of black clad men. Everything about this made me feel unfocused and preoccupied. I was already doing my very best just trying to protect this one village. The next time I heard news of them again, everything was already over. That Da Hong Pao, always wearing a smile, went to live in the mountains like a hermit, never saying a word of what exactly transpired. IV. The Night Before I saved Zitui Bun by accident. That inexplicable fire, spreading at an alarming speed. The great rain that came and put out the huge fire. I found Zitui Bun unconscious on the ground and saw hastily fleeing people. A guess crossed my mind, but I quickly forgot in all of the commotion. Zitui Bun’s injuries were severe, and he was lucky to survive through Da Hong Pao’s superb medical skills. Zitui Bun is someone who can get along with anyone. He’d also subconsciously draw a pattern on rice paper, zoning out. The next time I saw this pattern again, the cultists were contemplating shoving an unconscious Dragon Beard Candy into a cage. Following Zitui Bun, Dragon Beard Candy joined us. I could not neglect those things I ignored numerous times before. That pattern, those black robes, the sudden epidemics, the despairing calamities. Everything that seemed initially unrelated began to connect as my companions increased in number. When I went to gather clues at a location, I found Dragon & Phoenix there, covered in injuries. I recognized Realgar Wine when Dragon & Phoenix brought him here. When I was investigating those strange cases, I once saw Realgar Wine donned in those black robes as he trailed behind those groups of people. I hoped everything would turn out as well as Dragon & Phoenix thought it would. Finally, after a long period of investigation, we finally caught onto something. Peking Duck brought forth information about them. This will inevitably be a hard fight. They possess means that we know nothing of. Even Peking Duck was incapable of annihilating all of them. But even in such a dangerous situation, no one backed out. The sweet and mellow alcohol swayed and rocked as the cups collided against one another, and heads were thrown back to finish a drink. Vows that need not be voiced followed the wine into our blood and engraved themselves onto bones. The wine cups in hands reflected the sky’s bright moonlight, and the amiable song from beside my ear must’ve been a drunken Dragon & Phoenix babbling a little tune. It was inexplicably pleasant to my ears. If we could still return to this little courtyard for a drink under the moon after all was done, that would be only too good. V. Longjing Tea Longjing Tea never thought he’d mean so much to everyone. Just like how he never considered his voluntary deeds to help so many. Even though he’s no Dragon God, he’s the same as a true deity; that’s what made the people genuinely believe in him. For his companions at the lakeside house, as long as a place has him, even if he doesn’t say a word, everyone can loudly play with ease. Even though he’s always wearing a cold demeanor, even preferring the icy chill of the lake’s bottom, to everyone else, Longjing could not be a warmer person. For him, saving someone needs no reason; it’s almost instinct, engraved into his very blood and bone. These actions, which could not be any more normal, saved person after person out from despair. He unconditionally accepted those he saved, providing them a home where they could be sheltered from rain and wind. Even Dragon & Phoenix, who liked playing outside the most, would always declare: “Aye! Finally home!” as he walked into the little house. Maybe because of everyone’s past sufferings, the people of the little village loved to find reasons to celebrate anything. For today, it could be because the back courtyard’s Eupatorium Fortunei has produced twin flowers; for tomorrow, it could be because there’s a famous chef visiting the village. Even if they’re always unimportant things, these little pleasures accumulate, bit by bit. They diminish the pain of the past, and create new memories truly worth recollecting. But no one has ever forgotten that the person who behind it all was their Longjing Tea, who’d always sit quietly in the back, silently watching. They avoided mentioning their past, out of a desire not to transfer such heavy burdens to Longjing Tea. He should’ve acted like a real god, leisurely sitting at the bottom of the lake, occasionally coming to the lakeside to watch the scenery, living his quiet and peaceful life, not going through danger like right now. It was their own sinful debt, and shouldn’t be shouldered by someone else. But this seemingly divine fellow doesn’t see it that way. Peking Duck asked the question that everyone wanted to ask. –“Having to shoulder so much, don’t you get tired?” A man who loved silence; after saving those noisy folks, he could not find any more peaceful days. A sedentary man, who always zoned out while looking at the sky; now he was constantly running about outside for his companions, rarely having the time to return to his favorite lake bed. A man who disliked trouble; it was for them that he started a feud with the most troublesome of those ‘big annoyances’. Aren’t you tired? Do you regret it? The few standing in the shadows hung their heads, their fists tightly clutched. They were afraid of Longjing Tea’s answer, but they also hoped for an answer. Longjing Tea's astonishing reaction brought everyone to a standstill for a moment. “They are my companions, what is there to be a burden of?” Dragon & Phoenix, who’d been hiding in the corner, immediately rushed out from the shadows. He hugged Longjing’s neck, messing up his long hair, that constantly looked tidy. Longjing’s miffed reprimand echoed through the entire courtyard, eliciting a round of hearty laughter from everyone. Longjing doesn’t know that his companions aren’t unafraid of those enemies, shrouded in darkness. But for them, as long as Longjing Tea is around, they have no need to dread all that they once feared. Translator's Notes Note: Citations are usually indicated by the # hovering near the sentence. Category:Food Soul Story